NEWPORT FOOD SCENE: Playing the restaurant waiting game has a different look these days

By Dan Lederer

Wednesday

May 13, 2020 at 12:30 PM

I just checked with the kitchen. Your dinner should be out any minute now.

You’ve probably heard that before. You are waiting for your dinner at a restaurant and it seems to be taking a long time. Your server sees you looking in their direction and pops over with those above words of concern. He/she cheerfully makes sure you have enough drinks, that your water is full and sees how you are doing on bread — all those little touches that make you feel like you are in good hands. You feel seen and heard and you find comfort in knowing you are all waiting anxiously together. You’re hungry, but it will just be a little while longer.

What you don’t see is that the kitchen has hit a hiccup. There’s nothing coming from the kitchen right now except swift moving managers trying to put out fires. You’re not seeing the heated discussions on the line and the frantic energy of the kitchen team trying to right the ship. As far as you know, it’s just going to be a few more minutes so you sit back, sip your cocktail and wait.

Any minute now.

This scenario feels a lot like where most folks in the hospitality industry are these days — we’re waiting. Any minute now, we’ll hear more about what’s coming next. Any minute now, we’ll have a better understanding of what we can do. Any minute now.

We’re still stunned at how fast everything changed. Everything was moving along as usual, then the doors were closed. Restaurants didn’t just close. The industry did. The kitchens were humming along and then nothing was coming out. And all we can do is wait.

I’ll go check with the kitchen to see where your order is.

It did have to happen. We will never know exactly how many lives will have been saved from the drastic measures of social distancing, but we can be sure it helped lower the toll. The hospitality world would have been a breeding ground for spreading the virus. We understand why our restaurants and hotels had to close. But now we are in the midst of a waiting game. Waiting to hear from the manager or owner about what will happen next. Will they try opening for take out? Can we serve outside? Will you be bringing us back? Is the restaurant closing for good?

…any minute now.

We wait and listen to Governor Raimondo daily. What were yesterday’s numbers? Have we plateaued? Is she lifting the stay at home ban? What phase are we in? Outdoor dining only? I have to take my guest’s temperature before they sit down? Does she think restaurants will be back in force for Memorial Day? Fourth of July? Labor Day? Will there be weddings in Newport this summer? In the fall?

The kitchen’s a little backed up, but they’ll have your order out any minute now….

We wait to see what happens next with unemployment. When will the Federal benefit end? What’s the state of my health insurance? Will there be any jobs available in the industry or do I have to learn a new trade? If we return to our restaurants, will it be safe for me to go to work? Can I do my job in a mask? If I come back, am I putting my family at risk by being around customers?

Let me go get a manager…

I guess we’ll keep waiting. It’s all we can do. We can’t walk out or demand our money back. We just have to wait and see what the new normal will be. We’ll be ready for when the call is made. Ready for when it’s safe to come back. Ready to adapt. Until then, we wait.

Dan Lederer is a Middletown resident with 30 years experience in the food service industry throughout New England. Most recently he has worked behind the scenes at the Newport Restaurant Group and as a wine-slinger at Newport Vineyards. Cheers! His column will appear on newportri.com and Thursdays in The Daily News.

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